Being newer to this and not being able to experience the original IoA- can I ask why?
There was no park like IOA when it first opened...It had everything...Thrills for my coaster loving self, theme for my imagination, and, of course, Spiderman haha...
IOA didn't age very well though, there is a bit of hap-hazzardness that exists in the park right now:
Lost Continent to Hogsmede
Hogsmede to JP sticking out
Toon Lagoon is pretty irrelevant
Kong is kind of an island and kind of not
blah, blah, blah....All that to say, I think IOA's day is coming again, but gosh, when it first opened there was nothing like it on Earth...I do wish it would have gotten more attention than it did..
I want to like it as a Twilight Zone fan... but it just makes no damn sense.
Couple things are missing in modern IOA:
- Port of Entry Streetmosphere. The Storyteller and others can be found in some of the promo videos.
- Island Skipper Tours in the lagoon.
- The Lost Continent in its original form with Merlinwood. While there is no debate the WWOHP makes IOA a better park, there was some awesome stuff lost in the upgrade. The original Dueling Dragons queue/dueling aspect stands out at the most painful loss over time. I also personally liked the Enchanted Oak Tavern.
- Poseidon's Fury has also been altered over time.
I also would personally kill for opening day Hulk. The refurb/age has made it way too rough to enjoy multiple rides.
Yep, you nailed it, my thoughts exactly...
I would argue that HP may have saved the park, but it was plopped down rather than integrated in...Granted, they were strapped for cash at the time haha